New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) Pakistan is facing the double burden of malnutrition and obesity, intensifying pressures on the national health system and public well-being, a new report has lamented, adding that widespread consumption of nutrient-deficient foods has compounded Pakistan’s long-standing malnutrition crisis, hitting women and children the hardest.

According to a report in Business Recorder, a recent assessment by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed the deep structural distortions within the country’s food system that are eroding nutrition, and by extension weakening public health and long-term development outcomes.

According to the report, while the system generates sufficient calories to feed the population, “it fails to deliver the volume and diversity of healthy and nutritious foods required for a balanced diet”.

In effect, the country is producing energy, not nourishment, leaving millions vulnerable to malnutrition, stunting and diet-related diseases, said the report.

The most alarming finding is the sharp rise in consumption of sweets and snack foods.

“Rural communities again appear particularly affected, consuming more free sugars and fats than their urban counterparts, which could in part be due to the relative affordability of energy-dense, sugar- and fat-laden foods,” the report mentioned.

Sales of processed foods in Pakistan have nearly doubled in recent years.

Moreover, cereals, sugar and edible oil are produced and consumed at levels that far exceed what healthy diets require, while the supply and intake of nutrient-dense foods like fruits, pulses and legumes remain woefully inadequate.

This skewed pattern has entrenched a cereal-dominated diet across both urban and rural areas.

Notably, obesity has surged simultaneously, affecting 40 per cent of adults, and fuelling a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCD), including cardiovascular illness, hypertension, and diabetes.

The diabetes burden is particularly devastating, with Pakistan ranking third globally for diabetes prevalence.

Anaemia now affects around 41 per cent of women, contributes to poor maternal nutrition and one of the region’s highest maternal mortality rates – 186 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Child malnutrition is also rampant, with stunting affecting 40 per cent of children under five.

Curbing excessive sugar intake is critical. Higher taxes on sugary drinks, confectionery and processed foods, with the proceeds reinvested into nutrition and health initiatives can create powerful incentives for change, said the report.

–IANS

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